Clean and efficient energy production from renewable resources is highly desired due to the concurrent rapid increases in both energy demand and environmental concerns. Of particular interest are microbial fuel cells in which microorganisms act as biocatalysts, consuming oxidizable organic material containing chemical energy and producing other useful energy forms, such as electricity.
Ongoing research in the area of microbial fuel cells has resulted in development of various microbial fuel cell arrangements. However, such microbial fuel cells are generally unsatisfactory, producing low power density and low efficiency of conversion of a microbial nutrient fuel to useful energy, such that microbial fuel cells have so far been limited in production and application.
There is a continuing need for improved microbial fuel cells.